Terminal connection for electric lamp sockets



Sept. 27, 1932. 1. H. SHALOMITH TERMINAL CONNECTION FOR ELECTRIC LAMP SOCKETS Filed March 1, 1930 INVENTOR ATTOR NEY Patented Sept. 27

UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFICE I k SHALOHITE, OI' BBOOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR 01" ONE-Hm IO IRA DASH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

mailman common non ELECTRIC mm socxnrs application 'flled March 1, 1930. Serial No. 482,858.

. This invention relates to electric lamp .sockets and more particularly is directed to improved solderless terminal attachment means for connecting flexible conductor wires to the current carrying parts of a lamp socket.

One ob'ect of the invention is to provlde lamp soc et constructions having an improved solderless attachment means of the character described which shall permit eco: 'nomic quantity assembly roduction of lamp sockets to form porta le decorative lighting sets, such as Christmas tree fighting outfits, and which shall reduce to a minimum 1 the skill required in assemblingof such outfits and at the same time eliminates possible fire and. accident hazards usually present in soldered operations.

Another object of the invention is toj'pro m vide an improved solderless terminal attachment means for connecting flexibleconductor Wires to the current carrying parts of lamp sockets comprising few and simple parts forming a ru ged assembly which shall be cheap to manu acture, and practical and eflicient to a high degree in use.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out. I

The invention accordingly consists'in the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangement of parts'which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described and of which the scope of applica- 5 tion will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawing, in'which is shown one of the various possible illustrative embodiments of this inv'ention.

Fig. 1 is a, front elevational view, insection, showing an electric lamp socket, such as used in Christmas tree lighting outfits pro vided with a solderless terminal'aetachment means for connecting flexible conductor wires to the current carrying-parts of the lamp socket embodying the invention.

- Figs. 2,3 and 4-are cross-sectional views corresponding to cuts taken on lines 22, 33 and 4.4, respectively, in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view sotakenonline5-5inFig.3.

I Fig. :6 is a-iperspective view of the screw shell and center contact portions attached to the flexible conductor wires removed from the socket casing, said portions being in separated position ready for assembly.

Fig. 7 is a perspective v ew showing the improved center contact portion removed from the socket connected to braided insulat ed conductor wire, and

Fig. 8 1s a cross-sectional view taken on line m 8-8 in Fig. 7. p

Referring in detail'to the drawing, 10' denotes an electric lamp socket constructed to embody the invention. Said socket is seen to include improved solderless terminal attachment means for connecting flexible conductor wires 11 and 12 to the terminals 13 and 14, respectively of the current carrying parts, namely the screw shell and center contact portions 15 and 16, respectively, of the lamp socket. Said-conductor wiresll-and 12 are preferably formed with cores or, strands 11a and 12a, respectively, having suitable insulating covering 11?) and 126, respectively,

of any well understood construction.

' The socket 10 may be of theminiature-type,

adapted to be connected in either series or parallel circuit with other sockets in forming a Christmas tree lighting outfit." Only a fragmentary portion of such an outfit is here shown, in whichthe socket '10 comprises a molded insulating casing 17 having a chamber 17a extending from the open or top end 17 6 thereof. Said casing 'is formed with an endwall 170 at the bottom of the chamber 35 provided with a central passagev 1711 wherethrough the conductor wires 11 and 12 extend j as is clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

Snugly fitted into the chamber '17 a is metallic screw shell contact portion 15 which is adapted-to receive the base of a miniature lamp, indicated at L in dotted The shell contact portion 15 at its inner end, has

Y an inturned flange 15a which supports an insulated discor washer 18. "Said washer carfor example, friction ribs: 176' parallelly spaced along the walls of the chamber 17 a.

The terminal 13 provided on the shell contact portion 15 comprises a resilient tab which preferably is formed integral with the flange 15a and is adapted to be bent back against the outer surface of the shell contact portion 15 to provide a loop bight at 19 for engaging with the bared strands 11a of the conductor wire 11. The terminal tab 13 may benotched and shaped at 13a adjacent the bight 19 to provide an eflicient electrical connection for the conductor strands 11a with the shell contact portion 15 and to avoid any possibility of said strands being cut by the sharp ed es in the manner clearly seen from Fig. 5. ith the current carrying parts assembled within the casing 1' as shown in .Fig. 1, the conductor strands 11aare tightly wed ed between the tab 13 andthe outside of t e contact shell portion 15, thus providing not o'nlythe good electrical connection, but also a highly elficient mechanical attachment.

I The center contact portion or eyelet rivet 16, has its shank portion 16a inserted through an opening 120 pierced through the conductor wire 12 midway between the strands 12a so that said shank 166 contacts said strands 12aas shown in Fig. 4. The head or top end of 16?) of said rivet 16 is adapted to contact with the base of the lamp and the bottom end of the eyelet rivet extending beyond the washer 18 and conductor strands 12a is split at 16d to provide oppositely extending clamping lugs, forming the terminals 14.

Where the insulation covering 126 is rubher, the lugs 14 when pressed down in clamping position, as shown in Fig. 4, will sever said covering and tightly contact with the strands 120.

.The practical application of the invention will now be apparent. The. conductor wires 11, after being bared to expose the strands 1111. are inserted in the loop bight 19 formed between the tab 13 and the-shell contact portion 15. The conductor wire 12 is inserted up through the shell contact portion and electricall and mechanically connected to the terminal 14 of the eyelet rivet 16 in the manner described above and 'as shown in Fig. 6. The current carrying parts are then forced down into the'chamber casing 17 a where they are rigidly retained against accidental motement. The assembly of the current carrying parts within the casing tightly clamps the conductor strands 11a to the terminal 13 while the terminal 14 of eyelet rivet 16 anchors the conductor strands 12a. 7 The rim 17; of the casing opening 17d maybe extended and a suitable insulating sealing compound 20.con-

fined within said rim about the conductor wires 11 and 12 for weather proofing the socketand for anchoring said wires'to' prevent possible relative movement between the wires and the current carrying parts. It is thus seen that the entire assembly and solderless connections are made with a minimum degree of skill while all possible fire and acci-- dent hazards usually present in soldering operations are here eliminated.

In F igs; 7 and 8 connection for conductor wire 112 having a braided insulating covering 1126 is shown, instead of rubber'as described above. Here the rivet 16 through the terminals 14 firmly clamp the conductor wires 112 and contact with the strands 112a although the lug terminals 14 do not sever the braid covering 112?) as when rubber insulated conductor wires are used. It should be noted that the conductor wires 12 and 112 are completely insulated by the coverings 12b and 112?), respectively, up to the terminals '14, so that any possibility of accidental short circuit within the socket is avoided, and since no soldering is required in the above described improved constructions, other short circuits due to the use of soldering flux is also eliminated.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a lamp socket in which the several ob ects of this invention are achieved and which are well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to beunderstood that all matters herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing are to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In an electric lamp socket, solderless attachment means for connecting stranded core conductor wires to current carrying parts of the socket comprising an eyelet rivet having a split end forming lug terminals for clampingly engaging separated portions of the conductor wires stranded core to the rivet.

2. In an electric lamp socket, a center contact portion comprising an eyelet rivet, a solderless attachment means formed from a split end of said rivet for connecting a flexible wire thereto, said split end being bent to provide a lug terminal extending transverse the wire for clampingly engaging and securing the latter to the rivet.

,3. In" an electric lamp socket, a center contact portion comprising an eyelet rivet having a solderless lug terminal formed from a split end of said rivet, said split end being adapted to extend through the insulated covering of a stranded wire and between separate core portions of the wire strands and bent to clampingly engage the same. 1

4'. In an electric-socket having an insulated casing, a screw shell contact portion, a resilient tab terminal, extending from said portion bent to form a loop ion receiving a wire adapted to clampingly retaiirthe latter when assembled in the socket casin an eyelet rivet formed with a split en'd, sai split end being bent to provide a lug terminal extending transverse another wire for clampingly engaging and securing the latter to the rivet.

5. In an electric lamp socket having an insulating casing, a screw shell contact portion formed with an inturned flange at one end thereof, a resilient tab terminal extending from said flange, said terminal being bent to provide a loopadapted to receive a conductor wire for clampingly retaining the latter when assembled in the socket casing, an eyelet rivet having a solderless lug terminal formed from a split end of said rivet, said split end being adapted to extend through the insulated covering of a stranded wire and between separate core portions of the wire strands and bent to clampingly engage the same. 4

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature. ISRAEL H. SHALOMITH. 

